


Shiver and Shakes

by glackedandmullered



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Seizures, michael has epilepsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 01:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glackedandmullered/pseuds/glackedandmullered
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Michael deal with his seizures alone and One time he didn't have to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shiver and Shakes

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: could you do one about michael having epilepsy and the guys dealing with it at work or something along those lines?

Everyone knew about Michaels problem. It had been a legal requirement when he started working at RoosterTeeth that he told his bosses and he knew it was just safer to tell everyone. Too many times he had been caught out growing up collapsed in the school halls or at a party. 

Michael had Epilepsy. His mother had it, his Grandfather had it and, when he was 5 and he had his first seizure under the swing set in the park, he was diagnosed too. He was put on medication, monitored and signed off as ‘stable’; sent off on his way to deal with it himself. Having his Mom around to help with the after effects certainly made him feel more secure when he felt the first signs of a seizure but it wouldn’t stop the embarrassment that came immediately after when he would open his eyes to see staring and feel hands that didn’t know how to help trying to assist. 

He started playing video games at age 10 against his Moms wishes because – although he didn’t have photosensitivity - flashing screens were, in her opinion, nothing but a hindrance to his health. His doctor said that he would be okay and that his mother should let him be a normal kid as much as he could. Michael liked his doctor.

When he finally mustered up the courage to move out years later it was to take his dream job. Having met the most wonderful people he would ever meet through his gaming and making a name for himself on the internet he packed up and moved to Austin, Texas. 

\---

His first seizure at work was in the office on a Monday when everyone had gone to lunch and he was finishing some editing. The first jerk sent his mouse flying out of his hand, over Gavins desk next to him and onto the floor by the door. The second threw his whole body forward and onto his own desk, arms jerking sporadically under him. He felt the bolts of electricity running through him, slamming his feet onto the ground and his head onto the desk and he prayed to anything listening that no one came in. It would pass, he’d dealt this Myoclonics before, they were pretty common with Michaels form of the disorder. They were traumatising but not particularly serious if you were in a safe location. 

The spasms died down and Michael laid just like that with his head on the desk, breathing in and out slowly, weakly rubbing at his sore twitching muscles. When everyone returned he had settled himself back down, mouse retrieved and eyes focused on the screen in front. 

\---

He had another one night when they were recording the podcast. He felt the telltale disorientation that meant one was coming, his body felt detached form his mind and he just barely managed to get out the words “Gotta pee” to his colleagues before he staggered out of the studio. His legs felt like jelly as he slid down the wall outside, shaking and dizzy.  
His limbs ached, his head felt heavy and he couldn’t think straight. It took a few minutes for his head to clear and he bit back tears as he stumbled to his feet and wished he had someone to help out with his weak movements back to set. If he was especially quiet for the rest of the podcast no one mentioned it. 

\---

On a cold night in December he lost an hour. He was in the office with Gavin, the lad finishing up the last of his editing before he could finally shut off and pack for his trip back to England for the holidays. Michael doesn’t remember much from that night only that he had fought with Gavin over something stupid and then the next thing he knew Gavin was walking away with his bag over his shoulder muttering _Fine if you’re just gonna ignore me. Merry Christmas you smegpot._ Michael would have called after him but his body felt empty and he didn’t have the energy to stop his head from colliding with the desk as moisture built up in his eyes. 

\---

He had 3 more absence Seizures in the spring. Losing hours at a time he awoke to missed phone calls and texts, he was late to work, missed lunch and skipped a Rage Quit deadline all because his brain shut off with no one around to notice. He told them of course, an apologetic reply to everyone who had tried to contact him and they understood. They weren't going to punish him for something he had no control over, although he wished they would say something.

\---

He has a Grand Mal in August. It didn’t even happen at work, it happened in his apartment – or specifically just outside his apartment – when he was preparing to lock up and start the day. The seizure came on fast and he collapsed on the ground hard, limbs already flailing and breathing laboured and, like with the other Grand Mal’s he’d had before he was out before anyone found him. The person who had was Michaels neighbour, the mans foot had been colliding with their front door and, when they went to tell whoever it was to shut the fuck up he found Michael shaking and jerking in the middle of the hallway, vomit on his lips and head colliding painfully with the floor. An ambulance took twenty minutes to show up, the seizure over long before they did and Michael would have cried if not for the utter and absolute disorientation he was feeling. At least this time he hadn’t pissed his pants. 

He was released later in the day to the care of Burnie who had been Michaels top emergency contact for shit like this. He spent the rest of the day in his apartment, in bed, shaking and still dizzy and drifting in and out of sleep. 

\---

As much as Michael wanted someone to be with him whenever an episode happened, when he finally had one in front of everyone he wished they would all disappear.  
It occurred in the middle of a VS recording. There were no warning signs, not this time, he was simply on his feet commentating on Ryan and Jacks match one minute and on his ass on the floor the next. Geoff was the first to react, having tried to catch Michael as he fell. He threw his mic to the side and knelt by the man, grabbing his shoulder and putting two fingers to Michaels pulse point.

“Michael?” He asks carefully, the lads pulse is heavy and rabbit fast under this fingers but he’s breathing is shallow and broken. 

“I’m gonna… I don’t…” The young man swallowed heavily, tilting sideways and suddenly his eyes roll back into his head and he collapses sideways already jerking as Geoff lowers him to the floor. 

“Someone go get Burnie.” He demands and Ray disappears out the door, they’ve been told the basics of what to do but now, in practice it feels impossible. 

Jack and Ryan had left their seats, pushing the desk chairs out of the way and moving any mess on the floor out of the way of Michaels jerking limbs. Gavin reached out to grasp Michael’s hand, he could feel the harsh tensing of the muscles beneath the skin. Michaels back arched and relaxed painfully as the seconds passed.

Burnie rushed in with Ray in tow, immediately kneeling down beside Geoff and pushing Gavin out of the way feeling bad for doing so but knowing someone else needed him more right now. 

“We need to get him on his side, Gavin move out of the way. Seriously give him more space.” Gavin did, shuffling backwards until his back was against his own desk, very nearly underneath it. It wasn’t easy to give space in the compact room and he watched with wide eyes as Burnie and Geoff got a loose hold on Michaels seizing body and lifted him onto his side his eyes blinking rapidly in Gavins direction. A small amount of bile trickled from Michael lips and was followed by a heart wrenching whine. 

“How long has it been?” Burnie asks roughly and Jack tries to work out how long Michael has actually been seizing verses how long it _feels_ like it’s been. 

“About 2 minutes.” He decides after a few seconds and Burnie nods. 

“Okay, Ryan be ready to call an ambulance if he doesn’t stop in another minute.” Ryan already has his phone in one hand and the other on Gavins shoulder for reassurance, Gavins shoulder is shaking almost as much as Michael. 

“What do we do now?” Ray croaked, throat dry with shock. 

“We just have to wait, I know it’s scary but we just have to ride it out and let it take it’s course.” Not seconds after Burnie speaks do the jerking limbs calm and slow, Michaels back stops tensing and his laboured breathing evens out somewhat until the wheezing and whining stop altogether. 

Burnie quickly felt up and down Michaels arms and under his head for any injuries that may have occurred and, when he was sure of nothing but a few developing bruises, he sat back on his heels. Ryan passes Geoff a tissue and the man gently dabs it at the corners of Michaels mouth to clear the vomit while Burnie checks his airway to make sure none is obstructing him at all.

They sat around waiting, warily watching the man on the ground for any signs of waking. Eventually Michaels eyes blink open and he coughed weakly. His eyes are darting around the room and he rolled his head limply to the man leaning over him.

“It’s okay Michael, you had a seizure but you’re okay. You’re safe just relax.” The men standing back allowed Burnie to speak softly the Michael while they stayed out of his line of sight. They didn’t want to stress him anymore than he already was by knowing that there were 6 people who had seen him have his episode.

Slowly Burnie reached around Michaels back to help him sit up and Jack approached with a water bottle from his desk, hi eyes widened as he became fully aware of what had occurred and his breath caught in his throat.

“Hey, no don’t focus on that just focus on your breathing okay? Have some of this water and then we can get you on the couch more comfortable alright, Michael?”

He sipped at the water cautiously and then allowed Burnie and Jack to help him up on shaking legs over to the couch. He felt the embarrassment that came after every seizure, especially now that his guys had seen him this way. It wasn’t the first time they’d seen a seizure but it had always been clonic or absence, seizures that didn’t last long and didn’t cause too much upset. Ones he got over very quickly and carried on as normal, comforting the other men.

“He needs to go home, can one of you take him?” Knowing full well they would all volunteer, and they didn’t disappoint. They all lived together now anyway. 

After allowing him as much time as he needed to lose most of his disorientation they bundled him into the car, a blanket around Michaels shoulders and his head resting on Rays. 

“Get some rest, love. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Ray whispered and Michael allowed the darkness tugging at his mind to take over for a while, drifting off to sleep to the sound of the rumbling engine.


End file.
